True Moster of Logic
by StoryTelleroftheMist
Summary: It's just not his leg which is damaged when Hikigaya jumps to save Sable. Just what will become of the self-proclaimed loner and cynic when he truly becomes a being of logic, and nothing else?
1. Chapter 1

Crash site:

8man PoV

"Oi! Get me … head is leaking blood like a …."

What?

I could barely make out the words being spoken around me, my vision was getting blurry like I was underwater.

What happened? All I remember is jumping to save that dog before the damn car hit me.

"Apply…Pressure!"

Just what is happening…I'm gonna be late in the first day, this sucks.

"Move! We…"

I'm feeling tired…maybe I'll take a nap.

…

(8mom PoV)

"…Yes Komiko the presentation is ready, I'll be there for the meeting and- wait a sec- someone's calling me."

I glanced at the phone screen irritated, this device was honestly more of a curse than a blessing. How I loved the days of my youth, parents actually had to believe you when you said you were going out to college or to a job, and landline phones were so scarce and calls so expensive that no one would bother calling to confirm.

Now you have a damn 'ping' every minute

Nonetheless, I picked up the call.

"Am I speaking to Mrs. Hikigaya Kimiko?"

"Yes," I could detect some tension from the voice on the other side, "And you would be?"

"My name is Kirishima Sakuya, I'm a nurse at the Local Municipal Hospital,"

Hospital!?

"This is about your son Hikigaya Hachiman, I am afraid that he was in an accident and…"

My phone unceremoniously dropped as I fell to my knees…

Hachi…

(Hospital)

8mom PoV

I rushed through the glass doors on the ground floor caring little about ruckus my entrance caused, I ran to the reception and practically shouted at the receptionist.

"Where is the Intensive Care Unit!?"

Apparently used to this sort of behaviour, the receptionist calmly asked me who I wanted to see and pointed me in the correct direction.

As I ran up the stairs I could see the familiar figure of Joichiro as he was talking to a guy wearing green scrubs.

"Chiro!" I shouted as I ran to him, we hugged as I sobbed in his arms for a few moments before I felt his grip loosen and distanced myself enough to face who I assumed was the doctor.

"Mrs. Hikigaya I presume?" The guy asked.

"Yes," I answered as calmly as I could in the given situation.

"My name is Dr. Miura Katsuki," he spoke through his surgical mask, "I'm afraid that it is time to start the surgery, so I will be leaving it to your husband to explain the situation."

I nodded slightly as Dr. Miura moved and disappeared through the doors of the operation theatre, the red light above the door acquired an ominous red hue as the door closed behind him.

Joichiro and I stood still for a few moments before he held my hand and we sat on a nearby bench.

"What happened?" I finally found the courage to speak.

Joichiro squirmed a bit in his seat before he spoke.

"He got hit by a car," Joichiro choked, "He apparently jumped to save a dog…got hit and…hit his head against a pole and…"

Even Chiro's façade of calmness faded as I saw tears roll down his cheeks, he had been here much before me and had been holding up throughout the process of seeing Hachi in his current state and signing the waiver forms, I simply wove my arms around his frame and sat quietly for some time.

…

(An hour later)

The red light suddenly turned off as some of the staff trickled out of the Operation Theatre, I was about to rush the nearest guy in scrubs when Joichiro held my hand firmly and made me sit.

"They've done what they could," Joichiro spoke, "Let them come to us."

I sat for what felt like an eternity before Dr. Miura came to us and removed his surgical mask to reveal a faint smile.

"He's out of danger," Dr. Miura spoke, "He lost quite a bit of blood but luckily we had more than enough to make it up," his smile faltered a bit, "although his head took quite a hit, so I'm afraid we'll have to keep him under observation for some time after he gains consciousness to check for any trauma."

Joichiro nodded to him after which Dr. Miura went off, presumably to rid himself of the now ruby red scrubs. We sat in the same position for a few moments before releasing a breath we did not realising we had been holding.

"Thank god he's okay." Joichiro spoke, breaking the silence as I felt a small smile creep onto my face despite the circumstances.

I had run away from my first meeting with the editor-in-chief, I was looking worse than a homeless drug addict and missing a shoe, with an unconscious son in the Intensive care ward…

But Hachi was still breathing! That's all I could care about at the moment.

Joichiro got up as another guy in scrubs approached us and explained the standard procedure, Hachi would be kept under observation for atleast 24 hours before being shifted out to another ward where we could meet him.

"…so you can see him tomorrow morning, I understand you would want to see him personally but the risk of infection is too high given his injuries."

"I understand, I'll clear everything with the administrative wing in the evening." Joichiro spoke, I wanted to protest, to see Hachi even it was for just a few seconds but Joichiro's firm grip on my hand kept me rooted.

"You can take your time sir," the guy spoke in an understanding voice, "The paperwork can wait, right now I would recommend that the both of you take some rest and eat something. Your son has suffered a serious blow to his head, therefore it'd be for the best if you could appear as normal as possible when he wakes up in order to avoid any trauma."

"Yes doctor, thank you for your efforts." Joichiro bowed slightly as I mimicked his actions.

"Oh please, it was our duty," the guy said, rubbing his head in embarrassment, "But Dr. Miura is the one you should really be thanking, he's the one who was leading the team."

Joichiro nodded to him a the rest of the staff dispersed, we stood still for a few moments before Joichiro nudged me.

"We should go… maybe go home and change," he spoke with hesitation, "It's not even noon yet, I think maybe we can pick up Komachi-chan later and get something to eat."

I swallowed a biting retort as I settled for a nod, the doctors had advised us to retain normalcy, and we'd be no good for Hachi in our current state even if he woke up. We thereafter made our way downstairs, Joichiro signed in the register and we took a cab home.

…

(Komachi PoV)

I waved off my friends as we separated from the gate, today had been a very good day.

I walked along the pavement, gomii-chan had promised me he would come and pick me up today. Maybe I could act a bit cutesy and trick him into buying me some sweets?

Hmmm I'm sounding a bit manipulative there…

Tee hee!

…

I waited near the intersection for some time but there was no sign of gomii-chan anywhere.

Gasp! Did he suddenly become popular, make a lot of friends and started hanging out with them!? If so who would look after poor old Komachi!?

…

Well, it was atleast it sounded a bit funny. Honestly I wasn't expecting much, gomii-chan isn't the type to get along with people and would generally just sulk around the house after school.

But things had been different since the last 2 weeks, after his admission to Sobu High School gomii-chan wasn't sulking anymore, hell I had even see him smile a few times, not the creepy smile he got while reading those strange books, but a smile with actual happiness.

So maybe I wasn't that far off, and as far as I'm working on scenarios, who knows maybe he'd come to get me with a girl in his arm…

"…machi-chan!"

Eh?

"Komachi!"

Am I daydreaming? Or are mom and dad here to get me? Not like I don't appreciate the gesture, but why are they wearing their home clothes? Didn't they leave just after gomii-chan and I did?

"Mom, Dad," I walked to them and greeted them with a smile, whatever it was, I was just happy that my parents were here to get me.

"Hello Komachi-chan," Mom spoke as she suddenly got down to my level and started caressing my cheeks. She looks a bit out of it, did something happen?

Did you get fired!?

"Komachi," dad spoke as he held moms hand and got her back up, he looked a bit unsure himself but asked a question I always answered in the affirmative.

"Are you hungry?"

…

(Restaurant)

8dad PoV

I firmly held onto Kimiko's hand as we walked into the nearest family restaurant. Komachi was quick to order her favourite pasta and I mindlessly told the waiter to triple the order and make us 2 strong black coffees, the day had been a vicious roller-coaster and I didn't feel like eating at all.

But I had to fill my stomach with something, an empty stomach was the last thing I wanted on my mind.

The day had started rather easy, if anything it was actually more pleasant. Hachiman had been rather enthusiastic, if I could label his behaviour in the morning, he got up early, ironed his uniform twice and left for school early enough to greet the night-shift watchman.

If I hadn't known better I'd assume he just gone for an early morning tryst, but unfortunately I knew better. Hachiman was overall a pretty nice guy, he had inherited his mother's pleasant looks and had a brain which functioned at a level beyond both mine and Kimiko's; but unfortunately of all things he could have gotten from me, he got my eyes.

The eyes…they were like a curse of the family, and my son had inherited the curse with my genes. I had known about the bullying Hachiman had suffered due to his physical features, kids could be rather cruel-but there was little I could do. Kimiko had insisted on multiple occasions about talking to the parents of his peers but I knew better, complaining about it to the parents of the kids who picked on him would have only made things worse. Hachiman had not been very forthcoming about everything, but I had an inkling that a girl was somehow involved in the entire thing.

But things had taken a turn for the better, Hachiman had cracked one of the toughest High School Entrance examinations, he had managed to score high enough to place in the top 5 in the district and even got a scholarship. He had practically jumped from his seat when we looked at the website; everything was feeling better. He would finally be at a good place with a fresh start, there was little more anyone could have asked of him.

I still remembered the feast Kimiko had cooked on the evening of the result- the way Hachiman had coughed after gulping his first saucer of saké had been hilarious!

"Uh…dad."

"Hmm," I looked up, Komachi's voice had broken my trance as I looked up.

"Uh, the food will get cold…" Komachi spoke, I realised that the waiter had already served our meal. Komachi and Kimiko were looking at me worriedly.

"Ah, Itadakimasu." I muttered as I got a spoon and chewed on a dish of rubbery pasta.

But everything had gone downhill soon after I reached office, I had initially rebuffed the calls but Kimiko kept calling me, I picked up the phone on the second ring…

…and then all hell broke loose.

I had run like a madman to the nearest cab I could find, Kimiko had only managed to utter 3 few words between her choked sobs on the phone, but they were enough to make my blood run cold.

"_Hachi…accident…hospital…"_

I had thrown money at the cab driver as I got down and rushed to the hospital. The doctors had inquired about my identity and gave suddenly served me with an ultimatum.

"_Sir, I'm afraid that the accident has caused considerable damage to your son's head. We will have to operate as quickly as possible if we want to avoid any permanent damage…"_

I had to force down the torrent of emotions that had been threatening to spill out as I had filled out a few forms and signed on the waiver document, I had somehow managed to keep myself standing until Kimiko stopped crying and Dr. Miura had informed us that Hachiman would live.

"…Dad!"

"Yeah?"

"You've been scraping the bottom of the plate for a whole minute," Komachi pointed out as she looked intensely between me and Kimiko, "Something's not right, both of you are out in your home clothes…is everything alright? I'm calling onii-chan now."

Kimiko shuddered a bit at the mention of our son.

"Komachi-chan," she managed to speak in a low voice, "About Hachi, he…"

She fell quiet, unable to speak.

"What about onii-chan," Komachi now got up from her seat, "Where is he? Did something happen? Why are you here then? And why…"

I just held up my hand, signalling her to sit. She obeyed hesitantly, and I decided that it would be best to tell her everything, just not here.

"We'll talk at home," I spoke as I left a wad of cash on the table. The 3 of us got into a cab, no one spoke until we reached home.

…

"So are you going to tell me now?" Komachi asked, her voice seeping in impatience and desperation.

"About Hachi, Komachi chan," Kimiko spoke, she took a sharp breath before speaking again, "He was in an accident."

Komachi stood like a statue for a few seconds, her small frame refused to move until she had completely digested the words. Her eyes bulged as she lunged across the sofa and desperately began shaking Kimiko's hand.

"What Accident!? Is he alright!? Why aren't we at the Hospital!? Why is…"

"Komachi," I spoke, the fatigue from the day was seeping in, "Hachiman is alright, we went to the hospital in the morning. He had to get a surgery, and the doctor said we can see him tomorrow morning and…"

My mouth went dry, I was suddenly unable to speak another word. Instead I just got up from my seat and hugged Komachi, holding her as close to me as I could.

"I know how you are feeling Komachi," I managed to speak as I rubbed her head, "But right now we need to remain strong. Hachiman is alright for now, but the doctor said that we need to act normal when we meet him otherwise it could be bad."

I cupped her small face in my hands as I spoke again, "So I need you to be strong, alright? We'll all go and see Hachiman tomorrow morning, so for now we need to remain strong. Hachiman needs us to be strong."

Komachi nodded, tears spilled from her cheeks but I could see in her eyes that she agreed.

She was a good sister.

I suddenly felt my eyelids grow heavier.

"Maybe we should all take a break," I spoke, Kimiko nodded to me as all 3 of us went to the bedroom for much needed rest.

…

(Next Morning at the Hospital)

8mom PoV

The three of us got off a cab, although visiting hours didn't start officially until half an hour, Dr. Miura had left us a message to meet up a bit earlier.

The moment Joichiro signed in the register we were lead to a small office, one that I presumed belonged to Dr. Miura.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Hikigaya, and this young lady must be your daughter." Dr. Miura spoke, he looked quite different without his scrubs.

"Yes sir," Joichiro spoke, "this is our daughter Komachi Hikigaya."

"Pleased to meet you doctor," Komachi spoke, the greeting was returned in earnest.

"So, I will get to the point," Dr. Miura spoke as he took a few X-Rays and placed them before a bright screen, "First onto the positives, there have been no complications since the surgery, Hachiman-san is responding well to treatment and may even regain consciousness in the next 48 hours…"

There was a pregnant pause, I could sense Dr. Miura's eyes land on Komachi as he hesitated.

"It is alright doctor," I spoke as I held Komachi's hand, "She is his sister, she needs to know."

Dr. Miura sighed as he held up the last X-Ray and spoke again, "While a greater part of the physical damage will be healed in a few weeks, I'm afraid that your son may not be the same person when he wakes up."

I felt the hairs on my neck stand up at his statement.

"What do you mean doctor?" I asked.

"This," Dr. Miura pulled up a diagram from under his desk, "indicates a normal human brain. It is divided into 3 main parts: Cerebrum, Cerebellum and Brainstem." He indicated each of the parts as he spoke.

"In your son's case, the blunt force trauma has caused some major damage here," he pointed out the frontal side of the cerebrum as he spoke, he then left the diagram on the table as he pointed on the X-Ray Reports, "This is called the Hypothalmus," he pointed to a part of the diagram which had a dark hue, "In your son's case the damage was caused majorly in this area and I'm afraid that this damage could be permanent."

…

What?

"So, will Hachi…" My head felt like it was swimming, Joichiro squeezed my hand as he beckoned Dr. Miura to continue.

"It is unlikely to have any effect on his regular functioning," Dr. Miura spoke, "However this is the part of the brain which is attributed to behavioural responses in a person, most commonly known as emotions."

It felt like a stone had dropped in my stomach as words continued to roll off Dr. Miura's tongue.

"We are not in a position to indicate the exact effects of such damage, it is by no stretch life threatening, but some of the previous cases studied across the world indicate a strong psychological change that…"

"Dr. Miura," Joichiro spoke for the first time in the meeting, "It is alright, please do not beat around the bush, we can take whatever you throw at us. Nothing changes the fact that he is still our son."

Dr. Miura sighed, suddenly it looked like he had aged overnight.

"The damage means that Hachiman-san will have a tough time processing emotions," He drew a sharp breath before he continued, "It is likely that Hachiman-san would awaken as someone without emotions- completely emotionless."

My head felt heavier than it ever had, suddenly a fuse went off in my head as darkness consumed me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello Everyone!**

**I hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

**(Hospital)**

**(8dad PoV)**

I sat quietly on a stool, overlooking the mummified boy in front of me, 3 machines on both sides attached to different parts of his body to simply keep him alive.

"I will let you be Mr. Hikigaya," Dr. Miura spoke, I simple nodded before seeing him exit with the nurse.

I sat there quietly, for how much time I do not know, before I felt some words roll off my tongue.

"Hachiman," I managed to speak, Dr. Miura had told me that my son had luckily not slipped into Coma, but he would not really be able to hear me…

"What a mess you've made…" ofcourse that did not stop me from talking.

I just couldn't hold it in anymore, I let out everything that was gnawing at my heart. I spoke about how scared I was when I heard about the accident, the painful wait outside the operation theatre, about his mother and Komachi, and lastly about the _incident _that had followed last evening.

_(Flashback-Last evening, Hikigaya Household)_

_I sat quietly at the dinner table, Kimiko and Komachi had finally cried themselves to sleep an hour ago- and after struggling in vain for the better part of that hour I had given up on the notion of sleep and made myself a cup of coffee._

_I absentmindedly stirred the dark liquid as I glanced at the clock; 8: 15PM, exactly 13 hours since Hachiman had left for school today morning._

_*Knock*_

_Who could it be?_

_I got up from the table quickly and moved to the door, I didn't want the knocking to wake up Kimiko or Komachi from their well deserved rest._

_I opened the door to see a tall man, his hair looked meticulously combed into place-he was wearing black business formals with a white shirt and a tie._

"_Mr. Hikigaya?" He enquired._

"_Yes?" I spoke, a bit unsure about the stranger in front of me._

"_My name is Hayama Soichiro," He spoke, "I am a lawyer and am here on behalf of my client Yukinoshita Yashiro."_

_Yukinoshita?_

"_Perhaps this could wait," I said, rubbing my head, I really did not want to deal with anyone right now, much less a lawyer._

"_I understand the predicament you are in now," he spoke, he seemed a bit hesitant before his features hardened, "However the matter is of utmost importance."_

'_What? '_

_I was unable to form any coherent thoughts. Who is this Yashiro guy? What does he want with me? What is so urgent that he had to send a lawyer at my house?_

"_Perhaps it would be better if we talked inside?"_

…

_(Flashback End)_

I shuddered as I remembered the meeting with that guy. During various points throughout the conversation I had to resist the urge to lunge across the table and punch the guy in the face, but I bit down the urge as soon as it emerged. As the conversation progressed I had remembered that the Yukinoshita this guy claimed to represent was actually the current elected representative of our district in the Diet and the Chairman of one of the wealthiest business groups around.

He was a powerful man and him taking an interest in me could only mean bad news…

…and bad news it was. The guy in front of me, Hayama-san had spoken about Hachiman's accident; he told me that the car which hit my son was owned by the Yukinoshita family and that they wished to settle the matter with us in a discrete manner without involving the authorities.

_(Flashback)_

"…_and this," Hayama-san pushed a paper in front of me, "Is the amount my client is willing to pay you, tax free ofcourse."_

_I looked down at the paper, the figure was probably more than what I and Kimiko would be able to earn together in half a decade._

"_In return," He continued, "You are not to speak of this agreement or about the involvement of the Yukinoshita family in the accident to any person outside of your immediate family. You do not answer to any queries by a 3__rd__ Party regarding the persons involved in the accident."_

"_I…," I wanted to slug the guy, I wanted to shout, I wanted to personally punch whoever was driving the damn car in the face before sending him to jail for all of eternity, but above all I just wanted this guy to leave my house._

"_I need some time to think about it," was all I managed to say._

"_I understand," he spoke as he took back the paper and put it in his briefcase, "You may take your time, but I would advise you to strongly consider the offer made by my client. Over and above this monetary settlement, my client will even bear the cost of any rehabilitative treatment your son may have to undergo in the process of his recovery…treatments which you medical insurance may or may not cover."_

_I bit down the bile in my throat as I nodded, I managed to keep it together until the guy left and thereafter puked my guts out._

_(Flashback End)_

"…and that is what happened." I spoke, it did not matter if my voice was reaching him or not, I needed to get this out of my head.

"Do you know what makes me angry Hachiman?" I spoke, "It angers me to think that whoever did this to you won't face the consequences for cracking open your skull. Any lawyers we hire will probably try to thrust the money down our throats so that they get a piece in the pie and force us to keep quiet, they will…"

"…and the worst part is we're powerless to stop it, we truly are. The people that caused this to happen to you will just go on with their lives as if nothing ever happened, all because they have the money to buy their way out…or power to simply silence everyone that can't be brought with the cash…"

"… all because they have money and power." I spoke quietly. I was tired, Kimiko was unconscious and Komachi wasn't doing well either. Over and above everything I didn't want to infuse any more negativity into my currently comatose son.

I got up from my seat, I was far from normal and would not be any help in case Hachiman awoke. I needed to be calm, composed and as close to my normal self as I could be. So I just squeezed my son's hand for one last time before I stood up and left. I needed to cool down, and I think Kimiko and Komachi needed to do that too.

…

(8man's Room)

A pair of glazed eyes opened to the sight of darkness and the beeping of random machines.

"…_money and power…"_

Those were the only words he could recall from the day before Hachiman felt darkness consume him again.

…

**(Evening: 8man's House)**

**(8mom PoV)**

"…I know what you are saying Kimiko, but I think we should take it. If nothing, Hachiman deserves the best treatment money can buy, and we both know we can't afford it."

I fell back into my seat back on my seat, Joichiro had told me about the meeting he had with the lawyer yesterday. I had shouted at him multiple times for even considering something like that accursed deal. I had a son with a half-open skull in the Hospital and I wanted nothing more than to kick whoever did that to the point of absolute oblivion.

…but sadly enough, I knew I couldn't do anything about it.

I sighed as I looked around, I was tired and I wanted to sleep, god I wanted to sleep - and I wanted to wake up…wake up and just sigh in relief at all this just being a very bad dream.

But I just couldn't have that pleasure, my son was there in the Hospital wired up with god knows how many machines and now there were people offering me money to keep quiet and forget all this had ever happened…

…and the worst part of it - I knew there was little I could do about it. Despite my misgivings I knew Joichiro was right, it was unlikely that chasing after a police case would do us any good. It was even more unlikely that the police would actually implicate a sitting member of the Diet - plus I already knew what would happen even if we succeeded in the long and arduous process of a trial…

At the best we'd just manage to push one of the drivers employed by the Yukinoshita family in jail for a few years… and probably earn the ire of one of the most powerful local families in return for dragging them through the process.

All of this knowing the fact that nothing would change for my son even if we succeeded.

However on the other hand, the money Joichiro mentioned could atleast provide some distant, if distorted and vile form of solace. The money would mean that Hachi would be able to study in whichever University he wished without having to worry about racking up student debts, and we would be able to get private medical help from the best Hospitals in the country without having to sell or mortgage everything we owned.

I got up and took my cup from the table and went up to the balcony, Joichiro wisely kept sitting downstairs as I went up, took a sip of coffee and closed my eyes.

'Take a deep breath,' I commanded myself despite my mental status, 'Remember woman - this is about Hachiman, not you, not those Yukinoshitas and…not about Justice. Think about what is best for Hachiman.'

I swallowed the last bit of acrid coffee as I made my decision- not as an upstanding citizen…but only as a mother.

"…the amount is going to have to be higher if they want me to settle this Joichiro." I spoke as I went down and banged my cup on the table.

By the gods, if these people just wanted to throw money at their problems then I would squeeze them as much as I could…my son deserved it, and so much more.

But for now, I'd settle for a drop of Yukinoshita blood. I was going make those people literally _pay_ for what they did.

…

**(Few Days Later)**

**(Hayama Soichiro PoV)**

I looked up from the papers and pushed them to the other end of the table, unlike my meetings with other clients I had kept this one in my personal office at home.

"So we have reached an agreement Soichiro?" the cool voice of Yukinoshita Haruhi enquired as she inspected the papers.

"Yes Haruhi," I spoke, my firm mostly dealt with corporate cases; taxation, mergers and other such instances were our specialty. The only reason I had personally delved into something like an accident case settlement was the fact that the Yukinoshitas were old family friends, and more importantly one of our most esteemed clients, "Though the entire amount is a bit higher than what we had estimated, the boy's mother was especially tough and drove a hard bargain."

"Understandable," Haruhi spoke as she put the papers down, "The mother is always protective of her brood. Any indication on the rehabilitative treatments? I believe Himeko said that the boy had a brain injury…which could be quite troubling."

I picked up another sheaf of papers, my wife's medical qualifications had been very helpful in estimating the settlement in this case, "His reports indicate that it won't affect his regular functioning, but I think we could be looking at an elongated period of consultancy fees from some of the more expensive psychiatrists and physiotherapists, given the damage to the hypothalmus it is estimated that the boy will have to undergo extensive psychological evaluation and rehabilitation."

Haruhi nodded at the information, "…would it require for the boy to leave the country?"

"Not likely," I spoke, "I had an associate of mine look up on the data on possible treatment costs. I think that the boy's parents might want to send him to Tokyo given the wealth of excellent clinics in the area," I pointed out at a figure in the sheets I gave her, "This is the estimated cost of treatment over a period of 3 years of rehabilitative therapy sessions with any of the top practitioners in Tokyo. Himeko said he'll need as much."

Haruhi took the papers in her hand as she nodded again.

"I will have Yashiro sign this tonight," she spoke as she got up, "Though I don't think I need to remind you to be a bit…discrete about the payment."

"I understand," I spoke, "I've already arranged for it. The money will be transferred to my firm's current account from your dummy firm's account at Cayman Islands. The money will then be marked for settlement and deposited in a different account, half of it in a trust in the boy's name which will mature when he's 18, a part in the family account, a part will be used in paying off the mortgage on the family house and the remaining amount will be released periodically by the firm straight into the account of the therapists the family chooses for the therapy."

"…that should suffice, is there anything else?" She asked.

"Yes," I spoke, "About the driver, where is he?"

"I had him transferred to Hokkaido," Haruhi spoke, "We had him sign an agreement to work with an associate company at the docks, we'll keep an eye on him and ensure that he will never return to Chiba again."

"Then," I released a breath, "I believe everything has been taken care of."

"Good," Haruhi spoke, "In that case I shall take your leave."

I returned her bow as she left and then crashed into my chair, the exhaustion from the last few days seeping into my bones. This was not the first time I had executed any under the table deals for my clients, but it was the first time any deal had cut it this close to home.

My thoughts floated to Hayato, who too had been en-route to Sobu when the boy - Hikigaya Hachiman, also going to the _same_ destination on the _same _route had been hit.

I shuddered a bit as images of Hayato in a similar situation flooded my mind and I began to imagine my reactions as a parent, would I be able to hold it together and remain rational, like the Hikigaya's had been? Or would I be out for blood of whoever hurt my child?

I used the boy's condition, his need for greater medical aid than public health services could provide and the economic condition of his family as weapons to make them submit, just how justified was I in making such a deal?

*Beep*

"Yes sir," my secretary popped into my office.

"Cancel any appointments for tomorrow morning," I spoke, my mind was full of questions which made me uncomfortable, "I will be coming in late tomorrow, so ask Kirito to go to court."

I knew that my wife was not going to be pleased, but I really needed a drink tonight. I pulled out a drawer and poured myself a single malt and looked out of the window which housed my office.

…did I really want Hayato to have this kind of life?

The thought suddenly occurred to me as I poured myself a second time, this case had really struck very close to home and it shook me to the core.

_What is something like this happened to Hayato instead?_

The question kept haunting me as I forced myself to put the bottle back in its place and not finish it off like I wanted to.

For years now, Hayato had been the ideal son – doing exactly as he should and being the fine young man he was supposed to be.

But was he happy?

If something like this ever happened to him? Would I be able to live with myself knowing that my son died without ever doing what he truly wanted?

I pressed a buzzer and called for the driver, once inside the car I made my decision.

This weekend, I and Hayato would go out for a ride and have a nice long talk. I was going to let him know that he could do what he wanted in his life..just as long as he promised to come back home.

…and this time around I was not going to let Himeko talk me into anything. I would ensure that my son was happy, be it at any cost.

…

**(3 days later)**

**(Hospital)**

**(Komachi PoV)**

I sighed a bit and put down me pencil, despite all its virtues I really did not appreciate the subject of mathematics. I looked over the room, the nurse had just left after replacing a vial of yellowish stuff in one of the machines connected to onii-chan.

Honestly, looking at him like this was a little unnerving. I preferred onii-chan like he was - slightly creepy and dripping with sarcasm…not like he was right now - unconscious and connected to a dozen machines. He hadn't moved a finger since a whole week, and I overheard dad talking with the doctors that any _'external attempt at resuscitation' … _whatever that meant, would risk onii-chan slipping into coma.

"You really are a gomii-chan you know," I spoke as I looked at him, "Here you are, living your dream of sleeping through life, not caring the slightest of what happens to us."

Despite everything, I felt myself get angry. This was the first time I was alone with him, and I wanted to rant "I mean, it was just a stupid dog right? You don't even like dogs, so why jump like an idiot? I mean did you fall for the owner or something? Are you that desperate for a girlfriend? Isn't your cute little sister enough for you? Is it worth lying down here? You can't even eat anything through your mouth, don't you want to eat your favourite pasta? Isn't…"

"…asta."

Huh?

"Pasta… want to eat."

"ONII-CHAN!"

I shot off the stool like a bullet, I reached the edge of his bed, my urge to hug him like a teddy bear only put off by the amount of bandages that covered his head.

"Koma…chi?"

He's calling me!

"I'm here onii-chan," I spoke, I moved closer to him and squeezed his hand.

"Can't…see." He spoke, attempting to move his hands which were confined to the bed by fasteners.

"You were hurt," I spoke, "But don't worry, its okay now. Do you need anything?"

"…thirsty," he spoke.

"Ah yes," I turned around, "Katushi-san! My brother is awake!"

"Komachi-san," the nurse spoke, "this is a hospital, please keep down your voice and - Eh, he's awake?"

I nodded my head enthusiastically, "He says he's thirsty."

"Okay," Katsushi-san spoke, she came near the bed and pulled a small pipe from a container.

"Hikigaya-san," she spoke to my brother, "My name is Katsushi Suzure, I am a nurse at this Hospital - I'm going to put a tube inside your mouth, suck a little from it and water will flow. Please reply to let me know that you have heard me."

"O..kay." Onii-chan spoke again as Katsushi-san put a small transparent tube and soon enough water flowed to onii-chan's mouth. He stopped sucking after a bit and then Katsushi-san put the tube back.

"Komachi-san," she spoke, "I will report this to Dr. Miura, please avoid shouting inside Hospital premises."

"O~kay," I sing-songed without the least bit of guilt, onii-chan was awake! This was the best!

…

**(8mom PoV)**

"…he's awake!"

What?

I shot up from my seat at the Hospital canteen, swallowing the half chewed noodles I ran to Hachi's room the moment Komachi said those words.

I reached his door and resisted the urge to barge in as it was, I took a few deep breaths- Joichiro and I had discussed in detail what was to be done once Hachi awoke and I intended to keep my promise.

_Now go easy, you just have to be normal- remember what the doctor said, hyper reactions can shock him._

I slid the door calmly as I looked on, Dr. Miura stood next to the bed, he shot me a smile before gesturing towards Hachi.

"He's awake," he said, "Everything looks fine for now, he's a brave young man."

I smiled since what felt like ages, I nodded to him and soon enough Dr. Miura left me and Komachi to be with my son.

"Hachi," I spoke, I wanted to cry at how much pain he was in, but at the same time happy that he was awake - honestly it felt weird.

"Mom…?"

"Yes," I went to him and squeezed his hand, I wanted to hug him like when he was five years old, but the amount of bandages and machines around him were a rather effective deterrent.

"Feel…weird." He spoke, I gently squeezed his hand, the nurse told me that the painkillers they utilised were a bit strong and Hachi was likely to feel out of his element whenever he woke up.

"I know," I spoke, "The doctors gave you a few strong medicines, but it'll be okay."

I looked at his face, the muscles near his jaw tightened a bit before loosening again.

"O…kay."

Was he trying to nod?

"Hachi," I held his hand, "Don't try to move ok? You are hurt and the doctors put you under restraints to make sure you don't hurt anything. You get me?"

"…yes."

"Good boy," god I wanted to ruffle his hair, but his entire head was covered by a bandaged helmet, "Now I'm going to call dad ok?"

Things were finally looking better now.

…

**(One Month Later)**

**(8dad PoV)**

"I'm home," I spoke as I locked the door behind me.

"Good evening Joichiro-san," a voice spoke as I came in.

"Good evening Kamakuchi-san," I spoke to the elderly nurse, Hachi had been shifted back home since the last 2 weeks and we had hired a retired nurse to look after him until he was completely healed again, "I hope Hachiman is not causing any trouble."

"None at all," she spoke, "He is a obedient boy, and rather calm for someone in his predicament. Though he is rather insistent on me reading him quite a few books as he cannot hold one himself. I would have imagined someone his age would want to watch those animated serials these kids are so fond of."

I nodded to her, to be honest the prospect of my son waking up as an emotionless robot had set me on the edge. Given Dr. Miura's warnings I had been very nervous - but for everything Hachi had simply become much calmer after he woke up and was thankfully not a sociopathic monster I had feared he'd become.

"What is he having you read?" I asked.

"He started with his school lessons, and right now its whatever I can find in your bookshelf until his teachers send over more coursework." She replied.

I raised an eyebrow at this, but I was just glad he wasn't asking her to read manga.

"Chiro," my wife greeted me as she got down, presumably after meeting Hachiman, "She is coming today right?"

"Yes," I spoke as I made us both a cup of tea.

"Don't you think it's a bit…premature?" she asked me as she took a sip, "I mean its already been a week since Hachi's home, and it isn't like he's stopped-"

"-its for his well being." I cut her off, gently but with a firm note, "Remember, a part of his brain is damaged, and it is not likely to revert back and heal. We don't know the exact consequences of such damage on his behaviour, and it would be better if we atleast took the opinion of an expert."

Kimiko sighed, her head dropped in defeat as she swirled the liquid in her cup.

"You know," she spoke, "Your words would be a lot more convincing if it wasn't _her_ whom you chose," she tapped on the visiting card of the psychologist I had hired, "I mean are you sure you're doing this for Hachi or are you men just looking for some eye-candy?"

It was my turn to sigh now.

"For the last time Kimiko," I said, "My boss recommended her when I made a few inquiries. She may seem young but she's talented, my boss said she apparently turned around one of his nephews who used to be a complete NEET. Not to mention she's graduated from one of the top medical schools in the world."

"Still," Kimiko squirmed a bit in her seat, "I mean she looks more like a…"

"You just want to say she doesn't look the part don't you?" I deadpanned.

Apparently caught, she just nodded and looked down.

"…and here I thought you were the more open-minded of the two of us." I spoke, "Look - she's good and gets the job done, and provided that she replicates her success it wouldn't hurt Hachiman to have some eye-candy until he heals."

Dr. Kamaita Fushiki was suggested by my boss when I had told him about the situation. She was a rather young psychologist but apparently had a rather expansive practice and was known to work well with teenagers- especially boys. I had hired her to look into Hachiman's case for her success rate…but Kimiko had some strange ideas.

'_Ding!'_

Ah, looks like she's here.

…

**(8man PoV)**

"…and therefore one must always spend wisely."

"Thank you Kamakuchi-san." I spoke to the nurse as she closed the book, this had been a rather intriguing read.

'_Knock'_

I moved my eyes towards the door, my father walked in with a rather attractive woman as Kamakuchi-san rose to greet them.

"You may rest now Kamakuchi-san," my father excused the nurse as she went outside, presumably to retire to her room.

"Hachiman," I looked to my father as he gestured to the lady, "This is Dr. Kamaita Fiore, she is here to look into your case and the impact of your injury."

I looked at him and then back to the woman, "Good evening Kamaita-san, I am Hikigaya Hachiman."

"Good evening Hikigaya-san," she spoke as she flicked a stray strand of hair before she looked back at dad, "I would like to talk to him by myself sir, I shall keep in mind what you have told me."

"Ofcourse doctor," my father replied before he looked at me, "I'm downstairs with mom, just press the button if you need anything."

He slunk a small device underneath my palm before moving out, the door creaked a little before closing signalling his exit.

Dr. Kamaita looked around my room for a few seconds before she took a seat next to my bed.

"Hikigaya-san," she spoke, "As your father had introduced me, I am Dr. Kamaita Fiore. I am a psychologist and am here to help us understand the consequences your injury may follow. I will ask you a few questions, please tell me if any of them make you feel uncomfortable, alright?"

"Understood doctor." I spoke.

"Alright then, can you tell me…"

…

"Do you experience any specific dreams repeatedly after the incident? Anything particularly unpleasant?"

"Yes, I sometimes recall instances from my middle school, I recall dreaming if the accident itself only once – but I have woken up a few times since then and felt my body break into a cold sweat and my heat beating faster than before. Otherwise my sleep has remained dreamless."

…

"… You say that meeting your family makes you feel pleasant. What is pleasant and unpleasant to you?"

"A situation that makes me feel comfortable is pleasant, and the opposite is true for what I find to be unpleasant. That is the best way I can put it given my current vocabulary."

...

"Your parents and sister, do you feel anything when you meet them?"

"I find it pleasant to meet them, but there is no other feeling I can convey."

**(Dr. Kamaita PoV)**

Hmmm…interesting.

This was the only word I could think of after a meeting with Hikigaya Hachiman - or Patient XV3 as my staff had labelled on the file.

The boy suffered from an aggravated form of brain damage, caused by blunt force trauma that had damaged his Hypothalmus. Following textbook science I should have been looking at an emotionless drone- however the result was rather different from what was taught in medical school.

He was still able to classify situations as 'pleasant' and 'unpleasant,' though the underlying complex emotions were alien to him. He had still retained some of his personality traits, such as a dislike for crowded places or overly spicy food; I could sense that he found me to be attractive, but I could not sense the underlying element of pure lust or desire anyone would associate with such observations.

He stated fear to be something alien to him, and yet spoke that he would not venture anywhere shady at night due to the probability of illegal activities and associated crimes.

His ability to process emotions though was completely haywire, even after experiencing a nightmare and feeling the physical sensations associated with failure he couldn't diagnose that it was indeed fear.

It was time to talk to the family now.

…

"…I trust my son is doing well?"

I turned to the boy's mother. Her body language and tone did nothing to hide the obvious nervousness on her part. Judging from the way she has looked at me in the past few minutes I think she has doubts about my competency.

Well, that wouldn't be the first time.

"Well, Mrs. Hikigaya …"

I delved in detail with relation to the state of the patient's psychological condition. I told them that he was still capable of 'feeling' to the extent that he could classify it as pleasant or unpleasant, although the emotions would remain alien to him for now. He could still classify the fact that he found the female form was attractive, but it seemed that the required desire that flowed through the hormonal surges had been downed to a great extent. He had retained quite a few of his personality traits such as dislike for crowds and what I detected to be a hint of cynicism – otherwise he was driven by complete rationality and logic.

The 2 things that had helped humanity reach these heights.

"… does it mean that Hachiman will not be like…able to…"

I could detect the nervousness in her tone, her question was clear as polished glass despite not uttering any relevant words.

"I do not believe that there is any reason to infer impotency at this stage. While it may be true that his hormonal secretions would not be similar to that of any other person of his age, the medical reports do not indicate that it would affect his reproductive system in any manner."

I could see the girl, the younger sister of the patient blush at my wordings, it was quite amusing to see how the general populace viewed something basic like human anatomy to be lewd.

"Additionally…"

…

"…at this stage I recommend that we set up a schedule for fortnightly consultations. While it does not seem that he would suffer from any mental illness at this stage, his dreams could indicate a mild case of Anxiety or PTSD due to the accident and as he is currently unable to decipher any emotions. He will be needing some guidance for the same."

I got up from my seat and prepared to leave, but stopped for a moment before I spoke again.

"Additionally, from the reports it seems that he may be able to resume a few more regular activities by the end of the next month. I recommend that he reads a few books on etiquette and human behaviour; considering his inability to process his emotions it would be beneficial if he has a guide in his mind to help him navigate his way in society. Otherwise his inability to process his emotions could prove to be detrimental in any attempt to assimilate in society."

I went outside and sat in my car, as my driver pulled over I reviewed the meeting in my mind as I once again went through the case papers of Patient XV3.

This case was likely to provide much insight into the functioning of the brain.

I looked forward to the next visit.

…

**(A month later)**

**(8man PoV)**

"…I'm afraid that the time for today is up Hikigaya-kun."

I looked up from my book and looked at my watch before responding.

"It's still 6: 30 Kumeguchi-san," I spoke, the woman in front of me continued to smile as she shelved a few books.

"I'm aware of that," she spoke, gesturing me to help, "But I'm by myself on the counter today and I don't want to be late for dinner."

"I see," I closed my book and moved towards the shelf to help her.

"So, what have you been reading today," she asked me as I handed her one of the books.

"Games People Play, by Eric Berne," I spoke, handing over the last book to her as she got down from the ladder.

"Let me guess, another psychology book?" She asked me, I nodded in response before picking it up from the table and walking to the counter.

"You know," Kumeguchi-san spoke, "You're a bit of a rare case, I've never really seen kids your age stay in the library on Saturday evenings. Why don't you go out with your friends?"

"I don't start school until 2 weeks later," I spoke, "I presume I would not get as much time when that happens. Additionally the atmosphere here is pleasant, I much rather enjoy spending time here than in any crowded place."

Kumeguchi-san rolled her eyes, in what I assume was a gesture of exasperation on her part before checking out my books. I walked over with her to the counter and swiped my membership card to borrow the book for a week, the community centre library was quite the nice place to spend the day while avoiding the crowds that seemed to swarm other establishments.

I clicked on my phone to book a cab back home, it had barely been 3 days since I had been given permission to venture out of the house and this was one of the few places my mother approved of me visiting. Crowds were a complete no-go until my injury healed a bit more, and visiting school was yet not on the list as it was deemed too risky.

I walked out onto the road and my ride was already waiting by the curb, the driver gave me a strange look – presumably due to the cast wound around my head before he looked back at the road and started driving.

Not wishing for any idle chatter, I opened the book and started reading.

…

**(Home)**

**(Komachi PoV)**

I tapped my foot against the floor as I looked again at the door, he had messaged that he left about 20 minutes ago and still there was no sign of him.

If I didn't know any better, I'd presume he was trying to flirt with the librarian – she was cute.

"He'll be back soon Komachi-chan," Mom spoke out from the kitchen, "He takes more care of himself than the nurse did, the traffic must be bad."

"I know," I wilted slightly and walked back to her, "I'm just worried you know, he's still got that helmet-thingy covering his hair completely…but what if he bumps himself. He is even more clumsy than before, if I could've just gone with him..."

"Komachi-chan," Mom bent a little and held my face, "I know that you care for your brother, but we have to let him move around my himself sometime. Dr. Miura stated that he could even start going to school from next week. So relax, take a deep breath and help me set the table, ok?"

I nodded weakly and took a few plates from her, ever since that stupid accident letting onii-chan out of my sight even for a second has been really scary.

*Sigh*

Older brothers are so much work.

I set up the table and walked back to the kitchen when we heard the doorknob click and onii-chan came back in.

"I'm home," he announced in a low voice as he exchanged his shoes for slippers and came in, "Sorry for being late, I stopped by the Florist."

"That is so sweet of you Hat-chan," Mom spoke as she took the bouquet from him, "Mmm, roses and daffodils – you thought about the both of us."

"I placed an order for tomorrow morning as well," he spoke as he took off his coat, "I was unable to decide on any other suitable gift for tomorrow."

"Ah yes," Mom spoke as she handed me the flowers, "We are having guests over tomorrow, how thoughtful of you. Did you place the order for Dr. Miura's daughter?"

"Yes," Onii-chan spoke as he helped me carry the cutlery, "I ordered a bouquet of hydrangea, she has been very helpful with bringing me my schoolwork since the past few weeks."

Waah! Onii-chan is being so romantic!

"Hehe," I elbowed him lightly, "You sure you aren't trying to go for something else onii-chan?"

"What?" he looked at me in innocent confusion and all my excitement completely deflated.

This 'not getting the emotions' thing sucked, everytime I try to embarrass him he looks at me with such genuine confusion and I end up feeling like I'm the idiot.

I say he's got hots for his psych, the librarian, his physiotherapist or Yumiko-san…and everytime his reaction is just simple confusion.

I almost feel sorry for him…

Mom tapped me on the shoulder to break me out of my stupor and we sat down at the table. Dad came down from his den and we sat down to dinner.

I just hope everything remains fine as it is now.

* * *

**Over and Out!**

**Stay safe everyone.**


End file.
